The more than 10-year fugitive escape of the assassin from Nghe An.

Murder committed over a 20 million dong debt.

After sifting through the thick file of Nguyen Van Son (born in 1985; residing in Hung Chau commune (now Chau Nhan commune), Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province), which had been lying dormant in a filing cabinet, obscured by the dust of time due to the long period of losing track of the suspect, the investigators breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the long-standing "cancer" that had troubled them, as the suspect was still at large, had been closed.

The suspect Nguyen Van Son at the Ha Tinh Provincial Police Department. Photo: Provided by the Police.

According to the case file, in 2009, a gang fight broke out between two gangs in Ha Tinh province. Vo Cong Hoi (born in 1971, residing in Ky Tien commune, Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province) borrowed 20 million VND from Tran Hau Dong (born in 1975, residing in Ha Tinh city, Ha Tinh province), but when Dong called, he not only refused to repay the debt but also acted defiantly.

At that time, Nguyen Van Son was also a notorious figure with a significant reputation in Nghe An. Wanting to teach Vo Cong Hoi a lesson, Tran Hau Dong called Nguyen Van Son, trusting him and hiring him to go to Ha Tinh to "deal with" Vo Cong Hoi.

To carry out this operation, on September 4, 2009, Son and a group of 16 people, including many with criminal records from various locations, traveled from Nghe An to Ha Tinh City carrying weapons and rented a hotel room to prepare for the assassination as "ordered".

This gang traveled in four cars, carrying swords, knives, machetes, and other bladed weapons, to Ky Anh. At Mr. Hoi's house, the group used their weapons to attack and stab him, causing serious injuries that led to his death. After committing the crime, the group dispersed and fled the scene.

At the time, the case shocked the entire countryside; people were utterly bewildered by the thugs' blatant disregard for the law and human life.

During the investigation, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Ha Tinh Provincial Police successively apprehended all related suspects, except for Nguyen Van Son. After committing the crime, Son continuously moved and evaded capture through many provinces and cities nationwide, making his arrest extremely difficult, and at times he was almost completely lost track of. Based on the collected investigative documents, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Ha Tinh Provincial Police issued a decision to initiate a criminal case on April 10, 2011, and prosecuted Nguyen Van Son and his accomplices for the crime of "murder".

The pursuit of the suspect proved difficult because Nguyen Van Son was a notorious criminal with extensive social connections, allowing him to easily evade capture across numerous provinces and cities, even fleeing to neighboring Laos. Therefore, on May 26, 2011, investigators issued a nationwide special wanted notice for Nguyen Van Son on charges of murder.

Later, despite repeated efforts by authorities to locate this individual and their utmost determination to find his hiding place, all efforts proved fruitless. On numerous occasions, files on this wanted fugitive were reviewed only to be closed again because Sơn's whereabouts remained a mystery.

A special wanted notice has been issued for Nguyen Van Son. Photo: CACC

In October 2020, based on initial clues about Nguyen Van Son's sudden appearance in several central provinces, reported by informants, investigators reopened the case and decided to establish a special task force to arrest him. Using professional investigative techniques, the task force tracked down Son while he was hiding in Da Nang City. However, Son was a cunning individual with extensive experience in evading law enforcement, constantly changing his whereabouts to "shake off" pursuers.

During the investigation, the special task force also pieced together data regarding the suspect's disappearance. It turned out that after committing the crime, knowing he was being intensely pursued, Nguyen Van Son continuously moved through many provinces and cities across the country, then illegally crossed the border into Laos to live and work under a false name. After a while, seeing that things had calmed down and thinking that the police had forgotten about him, Son began to return to Vietnam to continue his evasiveness. As a notorious criminal with many complex social connections, Son was very cautious, and wherever he went, he was protected and concealed by many social elements to avoid detection by authorities. For example, in 2020 alone, Son continuously moved through many locations such as Da Nang, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, then Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong to avoid being discovered.

The Last Party

In late 2020, after discovering that Nguyen Van Son was in Di An City, Binh Duong Province, the special task force held a meeting to plan his arrest. The suspect had shaved his head, had dark skin, and numerous tattoos on his arms; his appearance was very different from 11 years earlier.

To avoid any confusion, a task force was dispatched to coordinate with the Nghe An Provincial Police to go to his hometown in Hung Nguyen district (Nghe An province) to meet with Son's relatives and cross-reference the information.

"For suspects who have been on the run for many years, accurate identification is not simple. The officers from that generation have retired, and the new officers had to spend many days analyzing Son's documents and current appearance," a police investigator involved in the case shared.

After comparing numerous documents and evidence, confirming that Son was the assassin involved in the shocking contract killing case in Ha Tinh 11 years ago, many police officers from Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces traveled over 1,000 km to Binh Duong.

Authorities were forced to break open the car door to arrest Nguyen Van Son. Photo: CACC

Through investigative measures, the special task force determined that on the night of January 3, 2021, dozens of notorious criminals and gangsters from Binh Duong gathered at a restaurant in Di An city to celebrate and bid farewell to Son as he went to hide in another area.

Recognizing this as a ripe opportunity, the task force, comprising forces from the Ha Tinh Provincial Police, in coordination with the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Province and the Criminal Police Department of Binh Duong Province, decided to "cast the net".

As expected, at the aforementioned time, Nguyen Van Son was joined by dozens of notorious criminals for a farewell party. After the drinking session ended late at night, Son got into his five-seater car and drove home.

After Sơn had traveled a few hundred meters, reaching a deserted area in alley 28, Phan Bội Châu Street (Dĩ An City, Bình Dương Province), the special task force decided to tighten the cordon. The car in front suddenly stopped, blocking Sơn's path. The car behind closed in, creating a pincer movement that put Sơn's vehicle in a dilemma.

Nguyen Van Son confessed to the police that he initially thought it was just a normal collision and intended to open the door to "talk things over." However, after a few seconds, realizing he was surrounded, he immediately locked the car doors and barricaded himself inside.

During the operation, Son, with the assistance of several other individuals, fiercely resisted. When resistance failed, Son accelerated, attempting to ram the police vehicle to escape, but was stopped. In a dilemma, Nguyen Van Son held onto his gun inside the car. After unsuccessful attempts at persuasion, the police fired five warning shots into the air. Son remained defiant. The situation forced the task force to use a hammer to break the car's windows and subdue Son and the other individuals involved.

Nguyen Van Son himself was a particularly dangerous wanted fugitive with complex connections to criminal elements in many provinces and cities across the country. Therefore, to ensure safety during his transfer from Binh Duong to Ha Tinh for investigation, the escorting force traveled over 1,200km without stopping. Only when the doors of the detention facility closed did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Nguyen Van Son being taken to the Police Investigation Agency upon his arrest. Photo: CACC

In August 2022, the People's Court of Ha Tinh province held a first-instance trial of Nguyen Van Son on the charge of "murder". At the trial, Nguyen Van Son admitted to all of his criminal acts.

The court determined that the defendant's actions posed a danger to society, as he did not surrender after committing the crime but instead fled, hindering the investigation. Nguyen Van Son's actions not only deprived another person of their life but also disrupted public order and security in the area, therefore a commensurate sentence is necessary to deter and prevent similar crimes in the future. After considering all the circumstances, the court decided to sentence Nguyen Van Son to 12 years in prison for the crime of "murder".

An Quynh